Embalming fluid control apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet l J. H. METCALF EMBALMING FLUID CONTROL APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1952 Juy 3, i934..

Buly 3, E934., J. H. METCALF EMBALMING FLUID CONTROL APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1952 2 Sheecs-Shfsel 2 BODY dem qv (omegl atentecl July 3,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF IC 2 Claims.

This invention relates tol embalming and is moreV particularly concerned with anl embalmingV fluid control apparatus whereby a body may be completely permeated with embalming uid Without breaking down of tissues or swellings, pufiings-and' the like liable to occur in many cases where the pressure of the embalming fluid is too great. It is a primary object andpurpose of the present invention to provide a gauged control of pressure for the embalming fluid and to secure its rise or elevation to the highest points of the body, eliminating guessing as to the amount of pressure which should be used, and rendering the operation sure and perfect in the results attained and eliminating the necessity of the exercise of high skill in the operation which has been more or less requisite on the part of the embalrner heretofore.

An understanding of the invention may be 2U had from the following description taken in conhectioniwith the accompanying drawings, in Which;

Fig. lis a side elevation of the apparatus of my invention and illustrating the manner in 25. which it is used.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the gauged pressure control apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a horizontall section substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal vertical section through a detail of the construction used, and

Fig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic outline of the principle used in forcing the embalming fluid tc'all parts and particularly the higher parts of the body.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

lnv the operation of embalining, the body is placed upon a horizontal table 1 face upward, an outline of the body being indicated in dotted lines at 2 in Fig. 1. The embalming uid may be either pumped under pressure, or the pressure may be gravity induced, the fluid being contained in a jar or other container 3 at an elevation higher than the body so as to provide a pressure head. The fluid Hows from the container 3 outwardly through a conduit 4 to the pressure control apparatus forming a part of the present invention.

In the construction of the apparatus a sup"-l porting plate 5 having a' flat under face is providedA which may be placedhorizontally on the upper side of the table 1.. Integral with the plate 5 is an upwardly extendingVv housing 6` on Which rests a ring 7 having anannular flange 8 around it. The ring 7 is formed with a cross connecting bar 9 having a central opening through which a vertical stem 10 passes, the'upper end of which is provided with aY disc-like head 11, the upper side of which is in a horizontal plane. The lower end-of the stem lOlrests upon a leaf spring arm 12,` near the f-ree end thereof, the opposite end of which is permanently secured to a lever 13 pivotally connected at its upper end to the bar 9, which has an opening through it for receiving the upper end ofi the lever. The lever 13 depends from the bar and at its outer side engages against the inner' en'dof an adjusting screw 14 threaded through a; side of the housing 6.

A ilexible diaphragm 15, which may be of rubber, rubberized silk or other fabric or any other suitable material capable of resisting the action of embalming fluid, is seated in thetring 7 inside the annular liange 8 and is clamped in' place by the engagement of the lovverl endof a cylinder 16 bearing against it and insertedinto place inside ofthe annular flange 8.V The upper end of the cylinder is received at the inner sides of. a second annular ilange 17 extending downwardly from a cover member 18. The partsfar'e all bound together tightly so as to make them liquid and air tight, binding rods 19 passing through lugs projecting outwardly from the cover l18 and from the housing member 6,.asibest shownin Fig. 4.

This construction provides a chamber' above the diaphragm l5 into which the embalming fluid is first: entered from the container 3; or from a pump if a pump is used instead'of a gravity container. While I have described a specifici constru-ation for connecting and holding together the cover'lS', thecylinder 16, ring 7 and lower hous ing member 6, it is evidentthat many variations in specific detail may be had. For instancev the cylinder 16 may be integral with the cover 18 and the ring member 7 integral withthe upper end of the housing 6 and a connection made between the parts by means'of short boltsrather than the longer rods 19. All of such variations in constructionare equivalent and are comprehended by my invention.

The cover 18 at its upper side has an outwardly extending nipple 20, to-which-the free endofith'e outlet hose 4 from the container 3 is secured. This nipple is extended integrally withthe cover. substantially toits center' andthere isla: con.- tinuous passage 21 through the nipple1and=r to the center of the cover where it joins with a vertical passage extending downwardly in and through a downwardly extending sleeve 22 which has openings in its sides as shown. A valve rod 23 is mounted for free vertical movement through the lower end of the sleeve 22, which serves as a guide therefor, the lower end of the rod 23 carrying a. head 24 having a at underside which bears upon the upper side of the diaphragm 15 directly over the disc head 1l previously described. The upper end of the rod 23 carries a conical valve 25 which in its lower position seats against a complementary valve seat to completely stop the passage of the embalming uid from the passage 21 downwardly into the chamber surrounded by the cylinder 16. For assembly and inspection and repair purposes the cover directly over the valve 25 is interiorly bored and threaded and is tightly closed by a screw and packing 26.

The outlet from the chamber surrounded by the cylinder 16 is through a depending integral outlet pipe 27 cast with the cover, which has a vertical passage therethrough which turns horizontally in the plane of the passage 21 and extends through an outlet nipple 28 to which an outlet exible hose conduit 29 is permanently secured. At the free end of the hose 29 a tubular metal needle 30, having an axial passage therethrough, is permanently secured.

The base 5 of the apparatus also serves to carry and support a vertical rod 31 which may be detachably connected at its lower end to the base as by screw threading. On the upper end of the rod a member is adjustably secured. Said member comprises a laterally extending lug 32 having a vertical opening therethrough, for passing the rod 31, and with a set screw 33 threaded into the outer end of the lug to bind the rod against said member to hold it in any position to which adjusted in the vertical length of the rod. From the lug 32 a hollow member 34 projects one end of which has an integral longitudinally extending nipple 35 with a passage therethrough communicating with the interior of the member 34. Into the other end of the member 34 a nipple 36 is inserted its inner portion 37 being housed within the member 34 and extending nearly to the opposite end of said member. The nipple l 36 and its extension 37 have a continuous axial passage therethrough; and in the upper side of the member 34 an air vent opening 38 is made.

A flexible hose 39 is connected at one end to the nipple 36 and at its outer end carries a .sec-

. ond tubular needle 40 similar to the needle 30 previously described. A hose 41 is connected at one end to the nipple 35, its other end being free of any connection to other devices or instruments.

The cover 18 has an upwardly extending boss 42 connected with which is a gauge 43, there being a free passage through the boss 42 whereby the pressure of the embalming fluid within the cylinder 16 is registered on the gauge to inform the operator of the working pressure of the embalming uid. A similar gauge 53 connects with the passage 21 to indicate the pressure therein.

In the process of embalming, one part of the body is selected where a vein and artery approach the surface of the body and this ordinarily is in an arm near the armpit. The vein and the artery, which lie alongside of each other, are lifted to the surface and the needle 30 inserted in the artery while the needle 40 is inserted in the vein.

The embalming fluid, passing from the container 3, passes outwardly through the hose 4 and through the passage 21 into the chamber above the diaphragm 15 and will continue to pass the valve 25 until its pressure is great enough to overcome the spring leaf at 12 whereupon the Valve 25 will lower to its seat and shut off any further flow of liquid until the pressure within the cylinder 16 is too light to resist the return movement of the spring 12. The extent of opening the valve 25 and the extent of pressure required to close the valve 25 may be regulated by the screw 14 which, when turned inwardly, lifts the spring 12 and requires a greater force of pressure to overcome the same to move the Valve 25 to closed position. The pressure within the cylinder 16 is registered by the gauge 43 and informs the operator what the pressure may be. The outward iiow of the embalming iuid through the outlet 27, nipple 28 and hose 29 passes through the tubular needle 30 into the artery. The pressure required to cause the embalming iiuid to permeate the body depends upon the condition of the body, how long it has been deceased andthe like, but in any event the embalming iiuid in all cases thins the blood in the arteries and veins, liquees any clots or coagulation and, by reason of the pressure in the artery of the embalming fluid, the blood is driven from the body at the point where the vein is punotured through the outlet needle 40, the hose 39, nipple 36 and its extension 37 thence through the nipple 35 and the outlet hose 41.

The elevation of the member 34 is as high as the highest point of the body above the table 1. This causes the embalming iiuid to permeate all parts of the body and there is no danger of cutting across through capillaries from arteries to veins through the lower parts of the body only, as would be the case if the outlet hose 41 had no higher elevation than the outlet 44 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. But by reason of the elevation through which the outgoing fluid must pass to al point as high or higher than the highest points of the body, even though there may be breaking through from arteries to vein through capillaries at times, the pressure of the fluid raised as it is to the elevation of the part 34, causes a complete and thorough permeation of the body by the embalming fluid. In Fig. 6 there has been roughly diagrammed the action which would occur through a cutting across from arteries to veins at the lower part of the body if there was no head of liquid to which it had to be raised and if the outlet was as shown in dotted lines at 44. By elevating the part 34 to cause the blood and other fluids passing from the body to reach such elevation thorough permeation is insured.

The vent at 38 permits the entrance of air and destroys any siphoning action which might otherwise take place.

The construction described is very practical and serviceable for the purpose for which it has been designed. The working pressure within the cylinder 16 may be adjusted at a desired point and not destructively increased, irrespective of what the pressure head may be of the embalming liquid passing through the inlet hose 4. The operator may adjust the screw 14 so as to maintain the working pressure of the fluid within the cylinder j.

vention is dened in the appended claims and is l" 2. In an embalming system having means to introduce embalming fluid or the like into a body, the combination of, means for preventing said fluid from gravitating out of said body, said last mentioned means comprising a conduit having an opening therein, and means for vertically adjusting said conduit.

JAY H. METCALF. 

